On September 30, 2024, the world will celebrate the 817th birthday of Rumi, the eminent 13th century Persian mystic, poet and scholar. Eight centuries after his birth, Rumi’s love notes and spiritual teachings, continue to stir strong emotions and inspire humanity. In Dubai, RUMInation, a band of spirited musicians and dancers will pay a lyrical homage to the alluring Sufi saint on his birth anniversary in a two-hour long concert at Theatre of Digital Art (TODA), Dubai, on September 29, 2024.
Rumi, A Voice of Our Times, will be an immersive show infusing elements from Iranian and Indian culture. At the helm of this concert will be Dubai resident and Iranian yoga and meditation teacher Samaneh Mojaveri. As the English narrator of Sufi poetry and folk tales, she will be accompanied by internationally acclaimed Iranian Dutar maestro Khalil Sheikh singing in Farsi, along with the ensemble of performers that include Indian Kathak dancer Swarashri Shridhar, tabla player Sandu and Iranian oud artist Hooman Shirali.
“During the show the audience will be taken on a journey into the world of Rumi through a unique fusion of cultural music, poetry and dance that we have put together,” says Mojaveri. The concert will begin with the recital of one of Rumi’s poems, ‘Listen to the song of the Reed’. “In this poem, Rumi takes the metaphor of the reed to talk about detachment and non-judgment. He urges us to be an observer and listener in life,” shares Mojaveri, “After narrating the poem, I will go on to introduce Rumi and his life’s journey to the audience.”
It was in October 2022 that Mojaveri first teamed up with her Dutar teacher Sheikh to conceptualise RUMInation to preserve and promote Sufi poetry. Soon the duo decided to expand the band and make it a channel to include lyrical traditions from other cultures especially blending Iranian and Indian arts. “The name RUMInation is both an ode to Rumi and to the medley of melodies in our multicultural performance,” shares Mojaveri, the art curator and director of the show. All set for its eleventh production the band has earlier performed Indo Persian Nights, Norouz Persian Folk Nights, Untold Stories of Rumi and Ibn Batuta.
The band’s upcoming concert is yet again weaved around Rumi, a man for all ages. He was born Mawlana Jalaloddin Muhammed Balkhi in 1207, in Balkh province in Khorasan, in present day Afghanistan, which was earlier part of Greater Iran. Through his Sufi poetry he wrote about the divine love and the mystical union between man and God. Both Mojaveri and Sheikh claim to have grown up listening to Rumi’s poetry. Incidentally, Sheikh hails from Rumi’s hometown, Khorasan. His great ancestors were connected to Rumi’s disciples too. “Rumi has had a significant impact on my life and worldview,” he says, “I was around 10 when I first learnt about Rumi. I found one of his books at home and was fascinated by its thickness and design. Since that day Rumi has become an integral part of my life.” Khalil plays the dutar, the long-necked two stringed lute and sings in Persian, often referencing Rumi’s philosophies through his songs.
“Rumi’s views on love, mysticism, peace and friendship of human beings with nature and animals can be seen abundantly in my songs too. Also, you will find aspects of astronomy and elements of what we can sense beyond what our eyes can see in my compositions,” tells Sheikh. This year he will be introducing electronic music to add to the multi dimension and immersive digital expedience at TODA.
Blending into Sheikh’s dutar notes would be the soothing tones of the oud played by Shirali, an acclaimed Iranian musician, who has had a string of notable international performances in his repertoire. In this musical and cultural festival, the Indian subcontinent would be represented by the beats of the tabla by Sandu and Kathak dance moves by Shridhar. Both artists trained in Indian classical music will act as the essential bridge in this amalgamation of Eastern and Indian cultures.
Last few weeks, Shridhar has been perfecting whirling, which was part of Rumi’s Sufi dances. “Kathak as an Indian classical artform already has Sufi movements as it has roots in Mughal and Persian culture. My association with RUMInation has given me the opportunity to challenge myself to experiment with my Kathak style to incorporate Iranian folk movements,” tells Shridhar.
While staying true to their distinct cultural identities, each musician in RUMInation is gearing up to showcase not only their own talent but also the magic that their harmonious union will conjure up on stage. “Our concert and our band both embody Rumi’s belief that we are all one,” says Mojaveri. She urges everyone to recite a poem in honour of Rumi on his birthday.
RUMI, A Voice of Our Times
Sunday, September 29, 2024, 7 pm
Tickets on https://toda.ae/rumination
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